People Are So Stupid!!!!

[dahliafaolan]

Ok, first of all, I'm having issues with Medicaid. Due to my disability, I'm supposed to be exempt from CommunityCARE and all that, but due to some computer error, I was assigned to this local doctor. Well after three days of run around, they tell me I have to go to the doctor to get the exemption I used to have. Well I made the appointment and this morning I attempted to see the doctor. I say attempted for a reason. I went to the office and when I got there there was only handicapped parking spot and it didn't have a lift space! Now if that weren't bad enough, the lift wasn't up to the ADA regulations. So when I finally was able to get into the office, my mother and I asked to speak to the office manager. We politely told her that they were not up to regulations. Well the office manager got very belligerent and nasty with us so we asked to speak to the owner. That's when she ordered us off the property. Which we proceeded to leave, but before we could get fully off the property (it takes a while to get in and out of my van due to the lift and transferring issues) she had called the cops on us!

[ollieholmes]

That is ridiculous. You would think that a medical establishment would be acsessible. I wish you the best of luck sorting things out. And i realy hope when the cops turned up they backed you.

[angel]

sounds like someone got a little pissed that you called them out on the issue. That is a load of crap though because i had to fight like hell with the town i live in to make a handicapped spot on the street so i could open my business. I had to spit out a lot of money to build the wheelchair ramp the the exact specifications and as for the handicapped parking sign the town made me buy the damn thing.

If i have to meet specifications then they should have to as well. I didn't mind as i am sensitive to accesibility issues. It is a lot of money and a lot of hassel to get everything up to code but it has to be done and it should be done. If someone ever had a problem with what i have at my office then i would have it fixed.

I went the whole way. Special door knobs and all. If i can afford it starting up a brand new business then they can afford it as well!!!

Angel

[LisaJoy]

The problem with ADA is that it was designed to be enforceable only by lawsuit. Angel, if you had sued, you would have won. Except you would have lost because it would have taken months (or years), more money than the modifications cost you, and a huge amount of aggravation.

Dahlia -- what'd the cops do/say? If your town has a civil rights ombudsman, you should file a formal complaint.

[LisaJoy]

While we're ranting, here's another good one. There's an elementary school in my county that was built three years after ADA was passed -- but for some reason the school board approved a design that included a playground that was not accessible (it had railroad ties and wood chips around the slides & swings, plus a metal slide). A couple of years ago, some parents started to raise Cain -- two had children with cochlear implants who could not use the slide because the static electricity it generated would damage their implants. The other had a kindergartener who used a walker. They went to the school board to request that the playground be brought up to ADA. The board told them they were welcome to raise the $78,000 necessary to reconstruct the playground the way it should have been built in the first place. The local newspaper ran a story (with one of those "poor crippled child" pictures showing the girl with the walker standing next to a playground she clearly could not use). A local businessman gave $50,000 and the parents raised the rest in a couple of months; the playground was renovated by the next school year. If they had filed a lawsuit, they would have won, but the kids would have been in high school before then.

[Dodger67]

Wow the system is really screwy in the good ol' US of A!

Here in "third world" South Africa all it takes is a call or e-mail to the Human Rights Commision. http://www.sahrc.org.za/
Its one of our constitutional watchdog bodies set up to bite the government (and others in some cases) when they are not playing by the rules. They even have an office that specifically deals with disability issues.
Cost to the complainant = a phonecall or email.

[Barb]

Everything in the US is complicated. That is why our govt is in so much debt. They keep buying more red tape!

I had an education meeting in a pre-ada building a few months ago and there was no elevator. I had to carry Carter and his chair up two flights of stairs. That was a LOT of fun! I was beyond MAD

[Gymp]

We have a Disabilities Act here,all new buildings have to be accessible to everybody and older buildings have to be retrofitted to be accessible.Sounds good but the owners of the older buildings have 20 years to implement the changes...what a joke !!!

I contacted a government agency to inquire about getting the wheelchair ramp built by them at the house when we first moved in ~8 years ago and they quoted a price of $4,800.00 for a pressure treated wooden ramp,I nearly had a heart attack at the quoted price and declined.I then contacted city hall for what their guide lines were for disability ramps and learned that it was one foot out for every inch up and 3 feet deep for the footings.I then got hold of a renovator friend of mine and hired him to do the work from my drawings with me being the gofer.After completion it was inspected and passed and it ended up costing us $1,700 for everything.Had we used the government agency we would have had to pay $3,100.00 more for the same thing....WOW bureaucracy sucks!

Gymp

[Dodger67]

Why would a government agency be directly involved with building ramps on private property? 1:12 gradient is also the standard here but very few actually comply - even gov buildings!

[Gymp]

Well it's sort of a government charity,They contribute,big business contributes and ordinary folk contribute (through door to door canvassers).I believe all of the above sit on the directors board.The monies collected goes to a Home Care Program,an Assistive Devices Program,Home Modification Program,Automobile Modification Program for disabled people. The Home Care Program is available to everyone at no cost.Assistive Devices Program/Home Mod.Prog./Auto Mod Prog are available to all as well but the amount you pay is reflective to the amount of your income.It's all done to a standard set out by their board.If your income is over and above their ceiling cap and you still have them do the work and you can rest assured that it's done to certain specifications and meets all required standards of the day.So basically the poor get stuff done for nothing middle class pay X amount and the well off pay all and it's all done to code.It works reasonably well.

Gymp

[dahliafaolan]

It's been almost two years now and I'll be going to court in August for the lawsuit I filed because of the situation. The advocacy center lawyer thinks we have a good chance of winning this one.

[LisaJoy]

Good luck, Dahlia! We'll be eager to hear the outcome.

[dahliafaolan]

Well I went to court today for my lawsuit. The doctor didn't even show up. In fact, nobody showed up on the doctor's side. We went in just asking for the doctor's office to fix themselves up to code and for some money damages. The judge was very sympathetic, especially when it came out that because of this mess, I've had to see out a doctor that has an office a half hour from my house. The judge ended up ruling in our favor and awarding me five times what we were asking for! However, there is one catch. The doctor's office is currently closed because the doctor in question is under indictment for Medicare fraud! So I might never see the money, but I don't care. I had my day in court and proved to the doctor that I wasn't just going to roll over and take it. But they're going to try to put a lien on the property so I might get my money one day.

[Gymp]

Good Stuff Dahli !!!!!!
When you DO get the monies owed hopefully it'll be with accrued interest.I remember an old saying,Good things come to those who wait...

Gymp

[chandrick]

WOW! I am happy you won the lawsuit! Kinda wish the stupid dr. was there though!! Just to see him humiliated in court! I hope you get your money!! YOU GO GIRL!!!

[n3rdchik]

That is awesome! Thank you!

[Emm]

Well done Dahlia for seeing this through!
Must have been quite nerve racking going to court but you are amazing.:clap2:

[sean]

Looks like your not the only one onto this doctor. Good on you (onya), well done.:dance2:

[vnmaria]

I notice not all handicapped parking spots have lift space but I don't think too much about it. The bad thing I notice is a lot of cars without the disabled placard just wait in handicapped parking spots. Do you say anything when that happens?

[Melz]

I notice not all handicapped parking spots have lift space but I don't think too much about it. The bad thing I notice is a lot of cars without the disabled placard just wait in handicapped parking spots. Do you say anything when that happens?

My parents usually call the police or the local council. The people get fined.

[babygirl]

That is crazy! I deal with that everyday as well,i would've told the cops (if you didn't) that i was leaving and she called ya'll on me! I didn't do a thing! Just see if you can avoid going to that place again.Hope this helps and i wish you very good luck:)

[dahliafaolan]

We did tell them everything that happened. In the end, we sued the doctor's office and won the suit. Since then, the doctor's office has shut down. We're still waiting to get the money we won in the settlement, but the doctor has been indicted on a separate Medicare fraud case, so we might never see the money.